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“AFC West–Not All Is Well”

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We are at the quarter-pole of the NFL season, with lots of football to be played, if the NFL can avoid further virus-crisis issues going forward.

The AFC-West standings should not be surprising.

The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS are unbeaten, because the NFL rule book says a football game lasts four quarters, and is 60-minutes long.

The Chiefs are (4-0) because they are so explosive with all that team speed, and so dynamic with their formations, motion packages, and so dangerous because of that guy, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Chargers found that out early in the season, allowing Mahomes to engineer a 95-yard drive to trigger a second half comeback early in the season.

New England blitzed Mahomes constantly, disrupting the Chiefs flow for three quarters, but the fourth quarter was all Big Red, with Mahomes runs, pass plays, yards after catch, and an opportunistic defense that got key sacks and a pick six interception.

You don’t have enough people to defend the quarterback, the speed receivers Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and tight end Travis Kelce.  Add in the rugged rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Unless somebody gets hurt in KC, they could go (16-0) because you have to play 60-minutes a game against Mahomes and friends.

Who knows where the RAIDERS fit into all this right now?  Derek Carr is playing mistake free football, without many turnovers.  But his skill people are struggling with nagging injuries.  His star running back Josh Jacobs just doesn’t seem to be the same player as his rookie year.

The defense has athletes, but is very young and injuries are taking a toll on the linebacking group and questions remain about a young secondary.

The CHARGERS season is in disarray.  The positive is how good QB-Justin Herbert is.  The stage is not too big.  He looks like a Philip Rivers clone, who can move the pocket and run.  He does not get flustered.  Has not made many mistakes considering how many exposures he has throwing the ball as often as he must.

The negatives are everywhere.  The the injury bug has bitten this team hard, just 4-weeks into the season.  Herbert was without 8-starters by the end of last weekend’s game in Tampa.

3-offensive lineman ailing.  One of his top defensive ends, a defensive tackle, a starting linebacker, and no Derwin James and Chris Harris in the secondary.

And now Austin Ekeler is gone six weeks with knee and hamstring issues. It’s like the season is over before it got a chance to start.

This is a tough way to develop the rookie quarterback on the job, and with a coach, Anthony Lynn, who keeps selling the idea, journeyman veteran Tyrod Taylor might be a better choice as a starter, this looks like a real mess of a season in the making.

DENVER is a long-time removed from being good in this division.  Drew Lock getting hurt at QB didn’t help.  Von Miller going down in preseason was a crusher.  the injuries keep piling up on a team that is not very competitive.

Add in a wide range of questions whether Vic Fangio is the right coach, you then must ask how much longer it will take President John Elway to make the right decisions to fix all that has gone wrong under his watch in Denver..

It’s interesting.  AFC-West, one great team, three teams with a myriad of problems.  And 12-more weeks of this to come, if the season does not get interrupted.

AFC-West starting to look like AFC-Worst.

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